


Just Once

by Shujinkakusama



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Drabble, F/F, Fluff, One Shot, Tumblr Ask Box Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-21
Updated: 2016-04-21
Packaged: 2018-06-03 16:37:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6618181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shujinkakusama/pseuds/Shujinkakusama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Garnet and Pearl fight a whale. For the prompt "just once" over on Tumblr!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Once

The truly dangerous monsters always seemed to arrive at the most inconvenient times. It had been a long while since Garnet and Pearl had been alone to face something too monstrous to risk getting Steven for—not that they had much choice; a six-legged whale walking around on the beach wasn’t something they could return to the barn to get reinforcements for.

 

Pearl summoned her spear with a disgruntled sigh. “Just _once_ ,” she huffed, “I would like to get fifteen minutes alone together without interruption.”

 

Garnet’s gauntlets were already in place as she stared up at the beast, looking for weaknesses to no avail. “You’ll want two spears,” she said, voice low.

 

“Oh good,” Pearl groaned, summoning a second. It was never a good sign when Garnet ordered her to dual wield. She steeled herself, ready for battle. It wouldn’t be easy, she knew, but she was determined. And with Garnet at her side, she could do anything.

 

The battle took several hours, but in the end, Garnet and Pearl overpowered the whale; Garnet’s killing blow was channeled into the beast’s blowhole through one of Pearl’s spears, an electric shock that lit up the entire beach and shorted out some of the boardwalk. The monster poofed with a satisfying outward explosion of smoke, and Pearl managed to catch and bubble it almost immediately.

 

And Garnet…

 

Outwardly, she looked as stoic as ever; but she was shaking with exhaustion, from the incredible amount of electricity she had just generated. When Pearl reached for her, she shook her head, drawing away. “I’ll shock you,” she said, letting her gauntlets vanish in a swirl of static and light magic.

 

“You say that like it’s never happened before,” Pearl said gently, cupping the Fusion’s elbow in hand despite her protests. Sure enough, a tingling current ran through her body, made her mussed hair perk up just that much more, but Pearl didn’t draw away. She managed a smile. “I think we deserve that fifteen minutes now,” she said, and despite herself, Garnet smiled back.

 

“Maybe longer,” Garnet agreed tiredly, leaning into her oldest friend as she drew her along up the beach, back toward the little house that jutted out of their Temple. They mounted the stairs together, slipped through the door, and without another word, sank down onto the couch in an exhausted tangle of limbs.

 

Pearl folded an arm between them while the other slipped around Garnet’s upper torso. Garnet’s arm was neatly tucked underneath Pearl’s neck, hand coming to rest at the back of her head, and their legs tangled without a second thought. Chest-to-chest, they could measure their breathing together, and after a while, Garnet dipped her head to plant a soft kiss on Pearl’s Gem.

 

“Thank you,” she murmured, and Pearl didn’t ask what for. The smaller Gem simply wound herself closer, holding Garnet tightly as they recovered their energy.

 

“Always,” Pearl whispered, pressing her face into the warm sweep of Garnet’s neck. “I love you.”

 

“Love you, too.”


End file.
